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Suspicious object found at Tulalip Resort, destroyed without harm to anyone

TULALIP — The discovery of a suspicious object at the Tulalip Resort Hotel and Casino on the evening of Tuesday, April 16, was met with caution in the wake of the Boston bombing on the previous day, but no one was harmed by the object.

"There were no threats issued by anyone," said Ken Kettler, president and COO of the Tulalip Resort Hotel and Casino. "It was just this guy who came in with it, saying, 'Hey, look at what I found.' I actually think he was trying to be a hero."

According to Kettler, the object's discovery resulted in a shutdown of the front entrance area for at least an hour, as Tulalip Resort Hotel and Casino staff waited for the arrival of law enforcement personnel.

Shari Ireton, director of communications for the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, explained that the object was found outside of the hotel's entrance, and was called in as resembling a black bottle.

The Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad, whose members include Snohomish County Sheriff's Office personnel, responded by taking the object to "Boom City" and detonating it with C-4.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Mark Francis confirmed that the call reporting "a suspicious package containing an unknown substance" was placed at 9:54 p.m., and that the object was removed and disposed of at 12:21 a.m. on Wednesday, April 17.

"The threat wasn't considered high enough to require an analysis," Ireton said. "It was just considered safer to detonate it. There was a person whom we detained for questioning, but he was later released."

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